


Dinner at the Hughes'

by CaraAkame



Series: Where Life Has Led You [2]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-23
Updated: 2016-09-23
Packaged: 2018-08-16 20:59:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8117410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaraAkame/pseuds/CaraAkame
Summary: Maes Hughes has recovered from his gun shot wound and asked the doctor and medic who treated him to come over for dinner.He also sets up a blind date because it's just so hard to do that when you're in a hospital.





	

**Author's Note:**

> AU where Ed never joined the military. Ed and Al work at a hospital and were able to save Hughes (YAY!)  
> Unbeta'd, so probably full of horrendous mistakes (sorry)  
> Also I apologize for constantly adding story parts BEFORE the first one I added. I always reorder them properly, but it might be annoying if you read "Are You Kidding Me" first!
> 
> Hope you'll enjoy!

“Hello Dr. Elric! And... Dr. Elric.”, Maes Hughes greets the young men on his doorstep. He recognizes the doctor that talked to him when he woke up. The other must be his brother, the one who gave him more time.

When he heard the name Elric, he immediately thought of the boy his best friend had tried to save. _Golden hair, golden eyes_ , Roy had told him. He had been sure that boy would come join the State Alchemist program, but alas, it seems like he and his brother became doctors. Lucky for him, really, he probably would have died, if he had been treated by any normal doctor without Alchehestry.

“Hello Mr. Hughes! Please, call me Alphonse. And this is my brother, Edward.”, the young doctor replies. Edward looks like he doesn’t know why he’s here, exactly, but says: “Hey, Mr. Hughes. I have to say you look a lot better than the first time I saw you.”

He recognizes his voice. That was the voice he heard in his dreams. He thought it was just imagination, but it must have penetrated his consciousness when he arrived at the hospital.

‘ _The bullet must still be inside. Don’t move him_ ’, he hears nearly every night. He remembers the pain easing slightly and panicking, thinking shock was setting in even though he was trying so hard not to let it drag him under. But he woke up.

“I was bleeding profusely, so I imagine that’s true. Do come in! I have to say, I was really surprised when I woke up, you’re both so young!”, Maes tells them. They are obviously extremely competent, but he hadn’t expected the most competent surgeon the hospital had to be a mere 19 years old.

“We get that a lot. How are you doing, by the way? How’s the pain?”, the doctor asks.

“I’m doing very well. It hurts a bit when I move around too much, but it feels like I just ran a long distance, nothing more. Let me introduce you to my wonderful family!”, the former patient replies, leading the young men to the dining room.

“These are my beautiful wife, Gracia, and our adorable daughter, Elicia.”, he continues, once he’s reached his perfect girls.

“Hello. You must be Edward. I saw Alphonse at the hospital, but you never seemed to run around like the other doctors.”, Gracia says. Edward looks a little bit startled, but replies: “Well, that’s because I’m not a doctor. I don’t have a medical degree. I’m very skilled at a form of Alchemy which specializes in healing. I help out at the Drop Off. You know, assess the damage, stop the bleeding if I can and stuff like that. Unlike my brother, I’m not qualified to do anything, actually, but the hospital doesn’t care because they know I’m good at what I do. I think they officially call me a medic or nurse.”

“But no bed pans?”, Gracia asks.

“No bed pans.”, Ed agrees.

  

Dinner at the Hughes’ was delicious. So delicious, in fact, that they didn’t even try to protest when they got invited – or rather commanded – to dinner again next Sunday. And then the next. And the next. It became tradition at some point, for Ed and Al to come over on Sundays at seven. The Hughes’ didn’t even bother inviting them at some point, just waited expectantly at the door at five to seven.

Elicia started calling them “Big brother Ed” and “Big brother Al”. They started bringing presents for her. They’re probably spoiling her rotten, but Maes Hughes never seems to mind. He’s worse than everybody else combined.

But they never see the Flame Alchemist. Sometimes the little girl will show them something “Uncle Roy” brought her. He’s spoiling her rotten too, it seems.

 

It’s at one of those Sunday dinners that Maes Hughes asks: “So, you two. Seeing someone?”

“There’s a really cute nurse at my hospital. She’s doing Xingan Alchehestry as well, but she’s still in her first year. Her name’s May. We’re not dating or anything, but I think I’ll ask her out soon.”, Al replies. Ed, on the other hand, snorts and says: “Considering that I spend all my time either at the hospital or the university studying and teaching at the same time, I have no time to even try to date anyone. Besides, I haven’t really met anyone recently who’s caught my attention. Also, in all honesty, who would want to date me? I have no time for them, I’m missing a leg, I’m told that I am very rude and all I do all day – if I have time for once – is talk about work, university, or Alchemy. I’m not even rich and good looking enough to make up for it.”

“You’re too hard on yourself, Ed. I think I know at least one person who’d be perfectly happy with what you can give.”, Maes replies, with a slightly manic grin on his face.

Ed frowns and asks: “Who?”

 -----

Maes picks up the phone, already knowing what the problem is, but asks anyway: “Roy! So good of you to call! You do so raaaaarely call, you should really do it more often.”

“If you greet me like that I think I’ll pass.”, the Flame Alchemist says.

“I’m sorry, Roy, I just can’t help it. Now, what’s the problem?”, Hughes asks, knowing that his best friend knows that Maes knows exactly what the problem is, but thinks it’s fun to make him say it.

“Not going to make it easy today, are you. Fine. Maes, I need a date to the military ball, but my dear Aunt Chris feels like I should start paying for her girls, so I will rely on your skills and connections.”, Roy says and Maes grins. He knows just the person, but he asks unnecessary questions anyway, just because it’s fun: “Armcandy or interesting? Man or Woman?”

“Both, if possible and surprise me with the latter.”, the Alchemist replies.

“I do know _just_ the person for you. I think you’ll get along really well. Who knows, maybe this is the one!”, Hughes says, knowing it will annoy his best friend, but also kind of hoping it’s true.

“God, Maes, not this again. I say it every time, and yet you never listen. Maes, nobody in their right mind would want to date me. I mean, the uniform and rank help, but when it comes down to it, I have no time for anyone or anything, all I want to talk about is my job – though I can’t – and Alchemy, which nobody understands. At least I can act like I’m really charming, but really I’m manipulative. Most people find that off putting in the long run.”, Roy says, sounding slightly exasperated.

“You know, that attitude is exactly _why_ I think you’ll like this one. I promise, this one works all day and said ‘who would want to date me? All I talk about is work’. They also said some other things, but I think you’ll find out more at the ball.”, Maes tells him, already looking for the Elric’s number on the table holding the phone.

“You already have someone in mind, but you’re not telling me anything about them except that they are a workaholic. So helpful, Maes. But, who cares, tell them formal clothing and all that, you know the drill with the Armstrong ball.”

“Will do, Roy. Now, have I told you what my beautiful Elicia did today?”, Maes asks and immediately gets the dial tone in response.

 ----- 

“Elric residence.”, Al says as soon as he picks up the phone. “Alphonse! Is Edward in? Don’t tell him, but I have a friend who is very single and a workaholic who needs a date to a formal event. And very handsome.”

“Is it the Flame Colonel?”, Al asks because really, Hughes can be very transparent sometime.

“How did you _know_? Don’t tell him. I want it to be a surprise. Roy doesn’t know either. He's a General now, by the way.”, Maes replies, sounding way too excited.

“They will gang up on you and they will murder you. I hope you’re ready for that. Brother is an expert on Aerugan Water Alchemy, on par with Mustang and his Flame Alchemy. You are very much screwed.”, Alphonse tells the older man, though he’s really only joking. He saw the General at Hughes’ bedside and he knows his brother. Those two wouldn’t hurt him.

“I’ll take that risk. So is Ed in or not?”, Hughes asks, so Al tells him to hang on and gets his brother.

 

“What is it Mr. Hughes?”, Ed asks with a bit of a feeling of trepidation.

“Oh nothing much, Ed. Tell me, how do you feel about going on a blind date?”


End file.
